Being a Crime Scene Investigator is no easy job or career, it is a tremendous amount of hardwork and a stressful lifestyle. There are many tasks that must be completed from your education, to being on the field. This occupation takes time and you need to be open minded because everyday will be different. This paper demonstrates what is needed when becoming a Crime Scene Investigator and what is expected. It also demonstrates how hard this occupation really is and the seriousness and dangers of it.

In being a Crime Scene Investigator there comes much responsibility and harsh work hours. In this career one must evaluate the scene, use many types of equipment, package evidence, have and prepare detailed reports, and testify in court using findings and evidence (Anonymous C 2008 1).  Also, in being a Crime Scene Investigator one must be available 24 hours a day 7 days a week and also be prepared to investigate complex crime scenes such as homicides, sexual assaults, armed robberies, home invasion, and burglaries (Anonymous C 2008 2).  Some of the equipment includes items like tweezers and point and shoot cameras, the more advance equipment is used for blood splatter analysis and to look for fingerprints and DNA (Orwell 2011 2).  Evidence in the job of a Crime Scene Investigator is very important because it can not be tampered with or touched physical by someone else or else it is considered contaminated and not usable anymore.  This is why evidence must be tagged, logged. and package to remained intact on the way to the lab.  It is also protocol to wear glove to preserve evidence (Layton 2011 1). Due to the fact that Crime Scene Investigators are on call generally at any hour, most agencies have investigators undergo psychological evaluations prior to being hired and others require mental checkups after being hired (Walker 2010 3).
 
To go more in depth on what a person needs in order to be in this field of duty, they must have two to four years of education in criminal justice, forensic science, and any other investigative science. Next is that they must be a police officer, but this is not a requirement in all agencies (Walker 2010 1). Other education that may be required at an agency is a Mastery of Science Degree in Biology or Forensic Science, this is optional but it all depends on the agency one is wishing to work for (Baldwin 2005 2). Some agencies may also require a masters degree in physical or life science, but this is also dependent on the agency (Noffke 2011 1).  A Crime Scene Investigator must also be in good physical condition because part of the job is extensive kneeling, stooping, reaching, climbing, and also handling objects of various sizes and shapes (Anonymous C 2008 4). Crime Scene Investigators have areas of specialization including DNA, toxicology, firearms, fingerprinting, or profiling.  Its not required to have a specialty, but when one does there are different positions with higher pay than those who do not have a specialty. But when one has a specialty it requires additional education and time (Walker 2010 2).

In order to be certified as a CSI there are certain task that must be completed a minimum of one year in crime scene related activity (Anonymous B 2010 1). Also, one must have completed a minimum of 48 hours  in crime scene related courses in the last 5 years (Anonymous B 2010 2).  In addition the applicant must successfully  pass a written test with a minimum score of 75%. All tests are graded on a pass or fail basis only.  These tests are taken from publication chosen by the Crime Scene Certification Board.  These titles or tests may not be changed until three years have past (Anonymous B 2010 4). A CSI must also successfully complete minimum of 720 hours training in crime scene processing, a minimum of 80 hours training in latent fingerprint processing, 40 hours in major death investigation, 40 hours in advanced death investigation, 40 hours in photography, 40 hours in blood splatter interpretation, and training courses in arson investigation and forensic pathology. Also the Crime Scene Investigator must be certified by the International Association for Identification, Crime Scene Certification Board, and this must be done in the 18 months as a CSI (Anonymous C 2008 5).  Last, in order to become a CSI is the ability to qualify with firearms, if required by department policy. One must also have the ability to operate and maintain police vehicles and equipment , a clear speaking voice, the ability to understand and act when instructed through the radio, and the use of a radio. One must be able to describe people, vehicles, location, or physical evidence by sketching, written reports, and providing court testimonies (Anonymous C 2008 6). But forensic science and technology continues to advance, so crime scene investigators are required to stay in touch with these new advances which requires ongoing training and education.   This means education is something a CSI must continue (Walker 2010 4). There is another road one may take, which is to become a civilian CSI, meaning there is no police training in ones background.  But with over 18,000 police agencies there are very few that have civilian CSI's working for them, so it is best to have been a police officer and worked in the field a few years (Baldwin 2005 1). 

Education to become a Crime Scene Investigator is available both online and on a campus. Some colleges that offer education to Crime Scene Investigators are the University of Phoenix, Kaplan, South, and Loyola (Anonymous A 2011 3).  The tuition depends on what the student is going for the basic 4 year plan or if they are going for a specialization, which could take more time and more money, depending on what the person wants to do. The salary for this occupation is also dependent on ones specialization or what they choose to do. A salary can range from $35,000 yearly as a crime scene technician to over $100,000 as a  toxicologist (Jakaye 2009 1). Statistics show the hourly wage now for this occupation is $26.47 (Anonymous A 2011 1). 

Crime Scene Investigation is a very demanding job because of its hours, and now because of all the T.V shows, such as CSI Miami or Law and Order, this is a job many want.  There will always be demand for it, but it is best to get an education that will allow one to not only to get this job, but one that can prepare for the future.  Most Crime Scene Investigators do not spend their whole lives investigating crime scenes, and at some point many get burned out or tired, so this requires a career change they may want to work in a crime lab as a forensic scientist.  This requires planning ahead and getting and the required well-rounded education in order to expand your possibilities as you get older (Baldwin 2005 3).  The U.S Department of Labor's Occupational Outlook Handbook predicts that throughout the decade jobs in this field will increase at a greater than average rate. But the competition for jobs in the criminal investigation and forensic field will be steep as more individuals enter the field (Noffke 2011 2). 

One innovation or study in progress is the DNA could be identified by a small instrument with no need to go back to a lab.  Testing can be done in a police car or by immigration officials to prove identification (Scott 2010 1).  DNA testing will be much faster than today's time which is a span of 14 days, but with this new instrument could only take 2 hours.  It is a work in progress but very possible (Scott, 2010 2). Another innovation of the brink in forensic investigation is using technology originally enveloped for medical science.  It will be possible to keep evidence from a crime intact easily and digitally (Anonymous 2011 D 1). This digital information will be available in virtual locations, it will enable one to virtually revisit a crime scene at any moment and to feel, smell, hear and see evidence that was left behind. By freezing or stopping the crime scene in this way, there are new ranges of opportunities for testing a hypothesis while investigation is underway.  It will also provide in court an insight on for what reason an event took place (Anonymous D 2011 2).

In conclusion becoming and being a Crime Scene Investigator or CSI is not an easy task.   There are stressful hours, dangerous tasks, and much education needed in some cases, but there are also many possibilities.  When being a CSI, you accept the responsibility to be dedicated not just to your job, but also your country. All in all a CSI life is not easy, but well deserved when realizing all they have done.
 
One con for me about being a Crime Scene Investigator is the stressful unknown hours. This could really take away from your life if you have a family or husband. The other con is that it is very dangerous and you do not know what to expect when arriving on a scene or what awaits you. The pros are everyday will always be like an adventure and a game of clue, just reality. I find that aspect very interesting I would love to one  day be in this field of work and it is possibly my dream job.